A defining characteristic of Bridgerton stans these days is our parasocial relationships with Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan. This Irish queen and English king are a TV match made in heaven and they absolutely devour as Polin (Colin and Penelope). The sexual and romantic chemistry between them — especially in that goddamn carriage — is electrifying to the point where I simply don’t think you can fake it. I swear I’m not trying to insult their acting skills. I’m literally just trying to find evidence that supports my dream theory.

For season 3 of the Netflix hit, Luke and Nicola had to spend a whole lot of extremely intimate time together on set. It seems only natural that sparks would start to fly… if they weren’t already flying. So, are the Bridgerton stars actually dating these days? After a thorough internet investigation, here’s what I know about the status of Luke and Nicola’s relationship.

Everything To Know About Luke And Nicola’s Relationship Off-Screen

Are Luke And Nicola Dating In Real Life?

Image Credit: Getty

Okay, Nicola gave a pretty straightforward answer to this question at the New York City premiere of Bridgerton season 3, but I’m in denial about it. “We think it’s really sweet, I think because we truly love each other,” she told Extra at the time. She went on to call her costar a “really special person in my life” and said, “It’s so nice having such a lovely friend that I can do all this with.” Not the immediate friendzoning…

I would just like to point out that Tom and Zendaya, Selena and Justin, and basically every iconic famous couple denied their romance at first. So. There’s that. Or maybe Luke and Nicola are just in denial about their powerful feelings for each other. I said what I said.

What Luke And Nicola Have Said About Their Relationship

Their comments about each other actually make me melt. During a recent Vanity Fair interview, Luke was asked about filming the famous mirror sex scene from the book. “I remember my focus was supporting Nic and making sure that she felt comfortable on set and in that environment,” he said. “I just wanted her to feel supported and safe.” Luke shared that he “completely got that from her” too. Screaming, crying.

At an April 2024 season 3 launch event, Nicola explained why it’s easy for her and Luke to play lovers. “We’ve known each other now five years and people were like, ‘What did you do to build the chemistry?'” she said. “And I’m like, ‘Well, we just stopped repressing it, and then it was fine, we didn’t have to do anything.'” Ah yes, that’s exactly what I would say if I was filming sex scenes with someone but not dating them in real life. We just stopped repressing it.

I’ll be monitoring this situation, don’t you worry.